Better Days
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Wonderwall Spin-Off One Shot. Ally's on her way back from the store, when she runs into a young boy who has striking similarities to another blond teenager she cares so much about. She might not be able to save them all, but she's sure as hell going to try and save him. Austin and Ally AU. "Maybe we'll find better days."


**This is a Wonderwall Spin-Off one shot. It revolves around the characters from that story, and the presence of a new OC. This OC will also be important to the other spin-off I started called Save Me, San Francisco. That said, the original idea came from my lovely friend DarkScribe81, who has the full copyright to the character named Thomas. While I wrote it out, the majority of this was her idea. It's definitely an interesting story, and I hope anyone who read the first story will enjoy this too. I'll be posting the second chapter to SM,SF within the week. :) Please let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

* * *

_I wish everyone was loved tonight_  
_ And somehow stop this endless fight_  
_ Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days_

"I'm on my way back now." Ally shuffled with her hands full of grocery bags, rolling her eyes at the voice on the other side of the phone. She stopped short of the door, not ready to head out into the pouring rain just yet. Damn Miami. It was sunny when she entered the store a few minutes before! The voice pleaded with her, making her want to groan audibly. "Rocky, are you kidding me? I asked you before I left if we needed anything else!" He whined back. "I don't care. I asked you and I'm already in the car." The voice mocked her back. "Shut up! I don't care if you can hear the crappy music. _I am in the car_."

She turned the phone off before he could answer her again, biting back a smile. She bickered with the boy quite often, but she truly did adore the smart mouthed rebel. Had you asked her that a year ago, she would have laughed her butt off. Love Rocky? Absolutely terrifying, blunt and mean Rocky? No way. Who knew under all the bravado was actually quite a sweetheart? Don't let him hear that though; he'd deny it all.

She was actually at the store because of him anyway. He'd been battling a rough bout of the flu and had been bed ridden for a few days. Feeling slightly better, she had left the shelter to restock on tissues and other necessities so that he didn't have to leave the room and spread his less than perfect condition. Still, he made enough requests at the house and called her begging for even more ridiculous things, and she'd had enough. Going back inside meant she'd get at least one more phone call, if not from him, from another member of the shelter and while she loved the group, she just didn't have it in her today.

A text buzzed in her pocket and she bit back a yelp while she quickly ran to her car, tossing her groceries into the backseat and dodging the heavy downpours best she could. Inside, she shook off the rain, resisting a groan. She was lucky that it was only raining and not anything else. Something told her that Rocky might get great joy out of the idea of her being electrocuted.

Ally quickly seated herself and pulled away from the small shopping center, turning down a side road that led to her second home. She hated taking the main roads when it rained as it often meant that she'd be sitting in traffic. No one got the idea that rain was not the end of the world. And her patience was wearing thin. But when she turned down the familiar road, she nearly screamed. It was flooded. All the way, too in less than a half an hour.

"I bet that boy has a voodoo doll and he's stabbing it right now," she muttered to herself. "Fine!"

Turning her car around, she backed away until she was near one of the main roads. Up head, she could see a small deli still open despite the late afternoon having taken over. It wasn't unordinary if she were honest, but still a bit strange especially when the rain made business slow. She drove slowly through the downpour, deciding if she was going to survive the fifteen minute trek home, she needed music.

In retrospect, she only took her eyes off the road for a second. Literally. And there he was in front of her, looking like a deer in the headlights. Ally slammed on her breaks, sending her skidding and hydroplaning almost into the nearest tree. Her heart pounded as the vehicle only stopped inches from a large oak tree. "Damn it!" She wasn't one to curse, but whoever had been in the road almost cost them both of their lives! She really wasn't in the mood for anymore crap that day and despite the downpours, she exited the car and prepared to give the bystander a piece of her mind.

When she got closer though, her heart plummeted in her chest. He couldn't be older than fourteen years old.

Clad in a pair of ripped jeans and a filthy gray sweatshirt, he started meekly back at her. He clung to something near his chest, his pale colored eyes barely visible under a tattered beanie. He blinked almost emotionlessly at her, scuffing his already worn converse on the wet ground, almost like a sign of vulnerability. Still, despite his outwardly lackluster appearance, she could tell the tall boy had once been growing into a muscular body. Now, he just seemed thin and fragile. She didn't know how to take him.

He made the choice for her. "Do you have a couple dollars?"

Taken back, she ran a hand through her now soaked hair. "Excuse me?"

"I…" he trailed off, looking ashamed. "Nevermind."

"You do realize I almost _hit_ you, right?" The annoyance, and anger seeped through her usually calm exterior.

The boy backed away from her, maybe on instinct and went under the awning where an old, worn bag sat. He reached for it and held it to his chest. When he dropped whatever was in his hands, she was surprised to see a pair of dog tags dangle instead. Ally felt an odd sensation come over her, almost a sense of déjà vu.

"I'll go."

Her heart told her not to let this happen. "Wait."

He hadn't moved.

"I'm Ally. You … do you need help?"

He didn't answer that. Everything about him seemed uncomfortable.

She tried a different tactic. As she watched him, she started to notice signs that he may be like the others at the shelter: without a home, trying to survive on the streets. The difference between the ones at the shelter and him though, was that he was much younger than all of them. "What's your name? My name is Ally."

"Thomas," he answered quietly, going back to the dog tags, looking up at her briefly.

"Hi, Thomas. I'm sorry that I almost hit you, and I didn't mean to scare you." She wondered what to do. Her training told her not to leave him there, but she knew with how he was acting, there was no way she could coerce him into her car that easily. She got out of the rain and joined him under the small ledge. He backed away again, pulling the gray sweatshirt over his fingers. "Do you need any help?" she repeated. "I work for the state. I help run a shelter just a few blocks from here. We could get you some dry clothes… maybe a warm dinner."

He again averted his gaze from her. She reached to touch him and he recoiled like she was fire.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Nevermind. Look, it's raining out here and I really don't think it's safe for you to be alone. I know I'm a stranger and that me asking you to come with me is probably terrifying to you, but I swear I'm just trying to help." She cautiously reached into her pocket and pulled out her state ID. "Look. I work for the state. Like I said. Please let me help you."

"I don't need help," he finally countered.

Ally bit back a scoff. "Sweetheart, how old are you?"

"I just turned fourteen." He was just a baby.

"Okay. Do you have anywhere to be? To go?"

He shifted his eyes again. "Yeah."

"I can tell you're lying," Ally whispered quietly and he gripped his dog tags. "Hey, those are really nice. A friend of mine has a pair like that. They were his mother's. Whose are those?"

Thomas shrugged.

"I bet they're someone important to you, right? Maybe a brother?" He didn't move. "A cousin?" Ally carefully watched his expression. "Your father?"

He twitched at that, giving her a tiny glance before he went back to staring at the ground.

"I bet you miss him a lot, don't you?"

"Please stop."

His heartbreaking voice made her heart lurch. Ally was at a loss. There did not seem any easy way to get to him. Against all of her better judgments, and the voice screaming in her head, she began to retreat to her car. Before she got there though, she paused, digging in her pocket for the change from the store. She handed him a ten dollar bill. "Here. Take this."

Ally quickly made her way to the car again, ready to leave when he finally looked her in the eye.

"The offer still stands," she assured him.

He cautiously took a step forward, clutching his bag ion one hand, his other still clutching the tags. She kept her eyes level, hoping that she wouldn't scare him. Finally, he took a seat in the passenger door of her car. Ally got in, closing her eyes momentarily before she began to drive. Despite almost hitting him a few minutes ago, she couldn't help but take a peek and take her eyes off the road. He sat almost as if he were afraid to take up space, his body practically curling in. His wet clothes stained her seats, but she didn't care. The fear in his eyes, the pleading that she saw, she was more than just happy to get him off the streets.

Ally drove in silence, not that she was surprised, and wondered just what happened in the young boy's life that he was begging on the streets in filthy clothes at such a young age. The sad part was they all had a horrible back-story, all came from hell and survived it. The worse part was that he was only one of so many. In Miami alone, the young homeless population grew every year. And despite her attempts, they couldn't save everyone. If you multiplied that by each state, you'd make yourself sick.

She said a prayer every night for those who might be without a warm bed.

Ally soon found herself parked in front of the shelter. A tiny smile crossed her lips at the sign that stated it was Trish's. A long battle for it, she was glad the small woman got the name. She worked her ass off every day to make sure those inside had a better life. She could only hope that one day, she would be able to say she'd done the same. One day, she hoped. One day she would be there.

"Okay, we're here."

Thomas clutched his bag.

"Do you want to come inside?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Let me just grab my grocery bags and I'll bring you inside. Trish, my boss, should be in by now. She had later hours today. She'll help you get settled."

He wordlessly followed her up the steps and through the large door. Inside, it was oddly quiet. The glow from the rec room told her that the others were watching a movie and for that she was grateful. No one ever budged from in front of the TV, and the less people she had coming toward her, the less attention drawn on Thomas. He was skittish enough, she didn't want to add unnecessary discomfort to him. Still, she had no idea where her boss was, or where to start with him. Ryland should have also been around, but it was oddly convenient that neither of them were in the main office.

And as if fate knew that her day was only to get worse, a familiar voice spoke, "Damn, you look like a drown dog!" The sick boy inched closer. "Kind of smell like one, too."

"Rocky!" Her scolding tone only made him laugh.

"What?" he muttered. "It's true."

Ally glanced at Thomas, who was wide eyed and almost shaking. Great. Her welcoming committee was only making matters worse. She shoved the older boy and gave him a disapproving look, to which he only took the groceries from her hand.

"Where is Trish and Ryland?" she stated calmly, trying to ignore the urge to throw something at him.

"Trish is in the laundry room. Ryland is working with Ellington."

"Thank you." She grabbed one of the bags. "Don't eat all of that. It's for everyone."

"And I thought you loved me!" he called out, as she urged the other boy to follow her.

"Don't mind Rocky. I swear he's harmless. He's actually very nice and he'll probably help you a ton once he stops getting his head stuck in his ass." She sighed, smiling a little. "Actually, it's been stuck there for a while now. You may just want to run the opposite direction if you see him. That's what the others do."

She almost earned a smile. Almost.

Ally chuckled and walked the remaining way to the laundry room. She saw Trish standing over some of the clothes and muttering to herself. She was sure she didn't want to know. When she looked up, she could tell her boss was not surprised that she had brought someone home with her. And she stated so, "Ally? Who is this?"

"This is Thomas."

"Hi, Thomas," her boss greeted warmly. "I'm Trish. Nice to meet you."

"Hi."

Trish carefully raised an eyebrow at her co worker. Ally wanted to tell her to feel honored that he'd even spoken to her. Instead, she just grinned weakly. "Uh, Thomas is in the need of some warm clothes and maybe a sandwich. I'm going to show him to our showers and then get that. I just wanted to introduce you and let you know he's here. I'm trying to keep the others away for the moment, the less curiosity the better. You know how that goes." She turned to the young boy. "I know I'm making them out to sound like teenage monsters, but they're really not all bad." A tiny smile graced her lips. "You'll like Riker. He's very much like you, but in a different way." She grabbed a few towels, and a pair of sweats and a t shirt. "Here you go. The shower is through here. Use water you like. When you're done, come back here."

He didn't budge.

"Is that okay?"

Thomas nodded. "Okay."

He left the room and Trish finally shook her head. "Ally, you and your strays!"

"He's not a stray!" she defended. "I found him outside begging for money. I couldn't leave him there!"

"Strays," Trish teased.

"You make him sound like a cat."

"You know what I mean."

Ally sighed, "Rocky found him within seconds. He called him a dog, so I guess we've got the animals all covered. He wouldn't tell me much about himself, other than his age and that the dog tags around his neck belonged to his father. He's terrified for the most part. I had to practically beg to take him here. I think he wants the help, but doesn't know how to ask for it."

Trish nodded her head. "Well, I'm glad you got him here. We'll have to check out missing person and all the regular jazz, but he's young from what I can see. A baby. It shouldn't be a big issue if he's not on any of the lists. The poor thing looks malnourished."

"I know. It feels never ending. We save another, only to see three more in their place."

"I know, Ally, I know. It's a hard, sometimes thankless job. Oh, by the way, I heard from little Eric's new family. He's settling in well. I think it was good that we got him placed with them. He was too young for this place."

Ally smiled. The boy she spoke of was only seven years old and had been abused at the hand of his uncle who had custody of him. Now, he was placed with a foster family and from the sound of it, was very happy. "That's great. I guess we should stay here until Thomas is done. Do you want to go get the paperwork and we can start that?"

"Sounds like a plan."

She left the room and Ally leaned against the washer. It was quiet back here especially, as none of the teens ever came this way. Laundry? You had to bribe them. Soon, she saw a shadow form near her and she noticed Thomas standing in the doorway, his old clothes in his hands and the t shirt and sweatpants replacing them. He still had on his old converse, but his beanie had disappeared as well. His dirty blond locks were much curlier without it and she noticed that when clean, they were very similar to Austin's.

It hit her then. He reminded her of him.

"I'm going to say this now, before we get any further. You're not forced to stay here. This is not a mandatory thing and while we would love to have you for as long as you want, I don't want you to think you can't leave. But… we care a lot here and can help you in many ways. That doesn't always mean the same thing." Ally came a little closer to the quiet boy. "The others up front live here, but we have many who come in and out and find other ways and people to live with. That said, in order to help you, we need some information from you. I know you probably think that I'm just a stranger, but believe me, I've been through this before. It's a lot easier to just get it done. That is one of our rules. We fill a file out for you so that we can get you started."

He only blinked.

Yeah, Rocky could take a lesson from this kid.

"We'll do it here because the others will soon be out and about and I don't want to subject you to the insanity just yet." She grabbed a chair and was glad to see Trish was back with the paperwork. Together, they began to put together a packet and then turned to him. He seemed to shrink under their stares.

"Thomas," Trish stated gently. "I'm sure Ally told you this already, but this is not a prison by any means. We just want to help. First, can you tell me your full name?"

"Thomas Deeks," he answered.

Ally wrote it down. She was learning this week about how to fill out the paperwork correctly and this was great practice. "What is your date of birth?"

"January 12, 2001."

Ally again shook her head. He was so young. A few more questions, and then she got to the more painful memories for most. "Who are your parents? Who do you live with?"

He didn't answer this.

Trish's eyes softened, "Sweetie, if you're running from someone, that is okay. We don't send you back to them, I promise. We just need to know."

He looked to Ally. She nodded encouragingly.

"I live with my mom and step-father."

"That's a great start. What are their names?" With some coaxing, she got the info she needed to at least start a profile. She didn't want to subject him yet to his real back-story, but with what he'd given them, they'd be able to run it through the state computer system and get any background that was legally obtainable. That included some hospital records, any prison records from his parents, etc. It was a start.

"I see you wear dog tags. Our Austin also wears some."

Ally nodded, "That's right. I mentioned him to you back outside. I think you too would get along great."

Thomas shuffled his feet.

"Let's get you settled."

With a tiny motion, she went to move him. He nearly toppled into the wall. Trish noticed this immediately. She saw her make a note to check into his medical records. With a few pulled strings, she could get what she needed. That would be done under the table and off the record, of course. "Sorry. Come on. I'll get you a room."

Sometime later, she'd snuck him into a room and given him a small lunch. He'd taken it with an earnest thank you and she'd left him to rest there ever since. Trish had been keeping an eye on him, and with that, she decided it was time to break up the group's party and explain who he was and how to go about talking to him. Clearly, talking to Thomas was a bit of a struggle.

And of course, breaking up a movie party in the rec room meant for an angry group of teenagers. Sitting on the couch, she eyed her little group of misfits. First was Rydel, cuddled up on her boyfriend, Taylor. Next to them happened to be Riker, and then it was Ellington and Kelly. Next to them was Austin, and finally Oliver and Jade were in the corner. All of them gave her the worst looks when she turned the lights on and flicked off the TV.

"What the hell?"

"That was the best part!"

"The light burns!"

"All of you, quiet." She smiled as she said this, though no one smiled back. Wasting no time, she continued, "We have a new person in the shelter. His name is Thomas."

"Oh. Really? That's why you stopped the movie?"

Ally rolled her eyes at Austin, who only grinned back. He sounded like his closest friend right then. "He's very, very timid and shy. I'm not joking when I say this. He's clearly been through quite an ordeal and I want everyone to play nice and try to remember that. Don't jump at him, ask too many questions. I think he needs a little time to relax and unwind." The group seemed less an interested, which was actually quite pleasing to her. She turned the lights back off, but looked to Austin. "Austin, come here please."

He looked less than thrilled but followed her regardless.

"I want you to talk to him."

"Me? Why?"

Ally touched his shoulder, "He's wearing dog tags. And I think you may come from very similar backgrounds. If you're comfortable with it, I think you would both benefit from sharing your stories. You might have to tell him yours first, but I think you'll find he'll open up to you. He hasn't to me yet, or Trish. I don't think he will easily."

"And you think I'll be able to do it? Regardless if we're similar… he doesn't know me. I haven't even met him yet."

"Come with me," she said. "And trust me."

"He's in my room?"

Ally nodded, "For right now, you're sharing. I think it'll help."

"That's not fair!"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I just got my own room," he defended. "No offense to Riker."

"Relax. It'll probably only be temporary."

He huffed but allowed her to knock on his door. Once inside, she saw Thomas curled up on the bed, but not asleep. He eyed them both cautiously. Ally gave him a warm smile. "This is the infamous Austin I told you of. He is the person you'll be sharing a room with. Dinner will be ready in about an hour or so, but for now, I'm going to leave you two alone and hopefully you can get acquainted." Austin gave her a pained look. "I'm sure you'll get along great." She eyed her blond friend, elbowing him. "Please try."

A sigh escaped his mouth. "Only for you, Ally."

Trish and Ryland were busy preparing dinner when she found them in the kitchen. A huge bowl of salad was already on the table and Ryland was grilling steaks. An expensive dinner, she realized. They must've gotten a nice donation. That usually happened when they came into money. Trish liked to spoil the group when she had the chance to.

"How'd it go?"

"Hopefully well. Austin is in there with him now."

"You said he's fidgety and nervous, right?"

Ally turned her attention to Ryland's question. "Yes. Very much so. Like he's been abused."

Trish shook her head, "Just once I would love for a poor child not to be beaten by some scumbag."

"Tell me how you really feel!" Rocky's voice entered the room. He smirked wryly and then groaned, "You are going to have steak when I'm barfing my brains out? That's cruel, even for you, Trish!"

"I'll buy you your own when you're better," she muttered. "Quiet."

Ally rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh.

"You said he's been abused?"

Ally didn't miss the softened tone in Rocky's voice. She turned to him, seeing a change in his overall body and posture. He didn't joke about things like that.

"We believe so. We have Austin talking to him."

"Fucking assholes."

"Language, Rocky."

He rolled his eyes. "I feel a little better. Can I go watch a movie with the others?"

Trish shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rocky. We don't need everyone getting the flu. I know it's not fun, but you really should stay in your room. Please respect that."

He grumbled a response, but started to walk that direction. "I better get that steak!"

"He's such a handful."

Ally shook her head. "No, not really. You just have to learn ways around him, Ry."

"If you say so. I'm going to tell the others dinner is ready."

"I'll go get Austin and Thomas."

The group dispersed and soon Ally could hear the chatter from the others as she made her way into the boy's room. Much to her surprise, they were on the same bed and Austin was showing him something on one of the laptops. But when Thomas noticed her, he immediately backed up and acted like he hadn't been leaning toward him. She paused, feeling bad for interrupting. That was progress. "Sorry, boys. Dinner is ready."

"Steak tonight, right? Oh man. I'm there!"

Austin practically ran out of the room, but Thomas didn't budge.

"Are you hungry?"

He quietly shook his head.

"Are you sure? Maybe even just a drink?"

Thomas again didn't answer. Ally suppressed a sigh and walked closer to the bed. She took a seat at the end of it, so that he didn't feel threatened. "I won't force you to eat. But the others would love to meet you. I can even bring it to your room if you're not up for that. We even got chocolate cake for desert." The boy's eyes lit up and that she didn't miss. "I can bring it here," she again added. "I promise."

"Okay."

Ally grinned, mostly to herself, and patted the bed. "Alright. You hang tight. I'll be back in a few minutes." She got him settled with his food, promising to bring the cake when he was done. She soon found herself back in the kitchen, chatting with the others. She'd questioned Austin on if he'd said anything to him, but Austin swore he was just showing him some videos of the band playing together. He'd yet to be successful in getting him to talk.

"That's alright," she swore.

Austin shrugged. "You're right. I see me in him."

"I know," she whispered, patting his hand. "But look how far you've come. We'll get him there."

"He's got you," he answered. "So I know he'll be okay."

"Thanks, Austin."

Just as he went to answer her, a crash at the door had everyone jumping. Ally looked up to see Thomas holding his glass, but noticed the plate was shattered on the floor. Ryland had jumped up to try and stop it before it spread, but it was already to late. It went everywhere. And Thomas reacted in a way that she never had suspected. He bent down almost immediately, putting the glass beside him while he tried to pick up the shards of broken pieces with his bare hands. Almost immediately, he got cut.

"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, sir."

Ally's heart broke. But then Ryland made a dire mistake. He tried to touch him. Thomas recoiled like he had with her, toppling into the hallway. It took all of seconds for him to run all the way down the hallway and out the back door. Luckily, the rain had stopped. Ally went to go, but Austin stopped her. "Let me try. Please."

The adults worried for nearly a half an hour. Ally could see Austin talking to Thomas out in the back, right where she and Riker often practiced their music, but other than that, they had no idea what was going on. She only hoped something good would come out of this. As they waited, Trish got some info back which she submitted. He was not on any missing person lists, but her contact at the hospital had confirmed her suspicions: in the last few years, Thomas had been brought to the ER with odd injuries that all led to the wonder if he was being abused.

And Trish had even gotten one step further. The hospital had CPS involved. They'd been to his house only a few weeks ago, and somehow, he'd slipped through the cracks. The person found nothing harmful to use against them. Ally understood. When he thought the help would come, it only fell through. The only hope he probably had. So he ran. At least, that was what she assumed. There were still a lot of holes that only he could fill in.

The back door slammed and she saw two shadows walk toward the room. Ally glanced at Trish, wondering if she should check them out. Trish shrugged her shoulders. "Do what you think is best, Ally."

Her own curiosity got the best of her and she followed the shadows to Austin's room. Inside, she could hear the older boy coaxing him down from whatever he'd still been feeling, and then the door opened. Austin jumped in alarm, but Ally was relieved to see that the young boy was in bed, and looking rather peaceful. She smiled as he closed the door.

"You were right."

Those words were out of his mouth before she even could ask.

"His step-father abuses him. His mother lost his father to the war a few years back. He was only nine. Their neighbor back at base was very… helpful. They ended up getting married just last year. Apparently, the step-father brought forth a nasty habit of using a bottle to hide problems. The rest I'm sure you can figure out." He shuffled on his feet, uncomfortable with the information. "It's gotten bad in the recent months, he said. His step-father beats him for almost anything. He humiliates him for little things." Austin closed his eyes. "He also… he also… ugh. I can't do this."

Austin ran off and Ally sighed, chasing after him.

"Please tell me, Austin."

He rubbed his temple. "He told me… he said that when he doesn't listen, or get good grades and all that stuff, he'll make him strip naked and he'll take a hose… and…"

Ally wanted to be sick.

"I'm thinking that's only a portion of what he does."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He's been on the streets for about three weeks. He's not from Miami. He's from Tampa."

"Tampa?! That's over two hundred miles away." She composed herself. "Thank you, Austin. I know it rehashes your own memories, so thank you. I truly appreciate you doing that. I'm sure you've helped him, too. I know it may not seem like it, but it's probably a weight off his shoulders for someone knowing the truth now."

"Yeah, I hope so."

Austin left, leaving her to stare at his door for a while, wondering what to do.

Ally gave the information that her friend gave her to the others and both Trish and Ryland began the case file that would lead to moving for making him permanently theirs. She didn't know how long that would take, or if he would even want it, but from the stories she'd just been told, it was clear she'd never let him go back to where he was.

Later that evening, as everyone was preparing for bed, Ally saw there was still a few pieces of cake left on the counter. She knew Austin was staying with Ellington that night, just to give him space and she thought she'd try and just make him feel a little more at home, especially since he never got the cake in the first place. She knocked once with the dessert in her hands, and then let herself in. He was sitting in bed, reading a book that was on the desk earlier that day. He jumped when he saw her.

"I come in peace," she teased with a small smile. "I thought you might want the cake, since you never got it earlier."

He stared at her with sunken, terror filled eyes. Ally felt horrible for the boy. Too young to go through what he did.

"Its good, believe me. I had a piece."

She placed it next to his bed. "Here. If you want it."

"I can still have it even though I am in trouble?"

The full sentence out of his mouth was a shock. "What?"

"I broke the dish."

"Thomas, that was a mistake," she assured him. "No one is holding it against you. You're not in trouble."

He nodded slowly. He looked at the cake, staring at it with almost lust filled eyes.

She went to leave the room.

"My father used to call me Tommy."

"I like that name."

He nodded.

"My father loved chocolate cake."

Ally turned around, giving him a warm smile. "I bet he did. He probably had great taste. I'd love to hear more about him one day, if you want."

"Yeah, maybe."

A start. It was a start.

Ally again smiled at him and then went back toward the door.

"Hey, Ally?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."


End file.
